How to Make Money On Pinterest: The Definitive Step-by-Step Guide

How to Make Money On Pinterest: The Definitive Step-by-Step Guide

I don’t know a mama who’d deny that Pinterest is a time suck… a lovely, inspirational, addictive time suck.

But savvy moms have figured something out that makes all that time spent on Pinterest worth their while (beyond home decor inspo, dream vacay ideas and fitness and nutrition tips).

When used strategically, you can actually make money on Pinterest! And it’s a lot easier than you might think – once you get a few foundational pieces in place – and that’s exactly what we’ll be talking about in this article.

How Stay-At-Home-Moms Can Make Money On Pinterest

how to make money on pinterest

While there are many different ways to leverage Pinterest to make money, in this article I am going to cover the five easiest ways to make money with Pinterest:

1) Affiliate Marketing

2) Direct Sales / MLM

3) Pinterest Virtual Assistant

4) Sell Your Products

5) Sell Your Services

The reason I’m going to focus on these is because you can do them even if you don’t already have a blog or business, so really anyone can do it!

But, before you can get paid to pin, you must master two basic things:

  1. Get people to SEE Your Pins (Optimize Your Pinterest Profile)
  2. Get people to CLICK on Your Pins (Optimize Your Pins)

I know these might seem like common sense, but SO MANY people miss these simple foundational steps and waste a ton of time and energy only to get frustrated when they don’t see results. But that’s not going to be you! There’s actually a proven method to make sure these two things happen, so let’s talk about them.

How to Optimize Your Pinterest Profile (get people to SEE your Pins)

smartmomblogger pinterest dec 2020

If you’ve just been using Pinterest for fun up to this point, you’re going to have to do some work to your Pinterest Profile if you want to start making money from it.

In order to get people to actually SEE the things you pin, you have to optimize your profile and presence so the Pinterest algorithm starts to regard you as a serious pinner. Here’s how to how to optimize your Pinterest profile:

  • Decide What Type of Content You Want to Pin (eg. Home Decor, Parenting, Personal Finance, Health & Wellness, Mom Life, etc.)
  • Use keywords in your Pinterest profile that are relevant to your content type (this helps the right people find your pins)
  • Upload a friendly picture of your own face, preferably with eye contact
  • Create 8-15ish boards with keyword relevant titles and pin several relevant pins to each
  • When pinning, make sure your pins have keyword-rich descriptions (makes them easier to find when people are searching in Pinterest)

How to Get People to Click on Your Pins

There are thousands upon thousands of Pins on Pinterest in every category… so how do you get people to click on yours?

Two words: Pin Design.

And I don’t just mean a “pretty” pin, though it is important to have a nice-looking pin (more on that below). But “pretty” isn’t going to cut it. Depending on your niche/category, there are likely already a lot of “pretty pins” that you’ll be competing with on Pinterest. So what’s the trick, then?

Your #1 goal when creating your pin design is to get people to stop the scroll.

In order to do that, your pin needs to 1) catch their attention (stand out in the sea of pins they’re scrolling through), and 2) compel them to take that next step and actually click on it. Here’s how to get people to click on your Pins:

  • Use professional, eye-catching designs. You can create your own in Canva or PicMonkey for free (they have tons of pre-designed templates), or purchase a template pack

 

Arbonne 30 Days to Healthy Living Review

Arbonne 30 Days to Healthy Living Review

The #Arbonne30 Challenge: What Is It?

Statistically speaking, most people who try to lose weight, fail… or quickly gain the weight back.

But it’s not because they chose the “wrong diet”. It’s because the way they’re thinking about food and healthy eating is wrong.

Here’s what I mean: When you approach losing weight as a one-time event, or “diet”, then you will be much less likely to lose a significant amount of weight because if you don’t see dramatic results right away, you’ll lose motivation and quit. And even if you are successful in losing the weight, you’re more likely to put it back on once your diet is “over”.

In order to truly lose weight and become one of those “healthy people” for good, you need to shift your mindset and habits. And this is where the power of the Arbonne 30 Days to Healthy living comes in.

Yes, it’s a timebound 30-day program, but within that 30 days you learn to eat clean, cleanse and detox your body, and learn what foods truly feed and nourish your body (and which don’t), and get into a healthy, predictable and easy daily eating routine.

You will see and feel dramatic results after those first 30 days – weight loss, toned body, increased energy, clearer, brighter skin, reduced blood-sugar, a clearer mind – but the real power comes in the fact that you have now re-trained your body on how to eat and think about food. This means you can carry this knowledge and new healthy habits with you into your next 30 days… and the next, and so on for the rest of your life.

Take a peek at this short video to see an overview of what the program is all about:

After I did my first 30 days, it’s crazy but I didn’t even want sweets. I didn’t crave sugary, fried or carb-heavy food AT ALL. And if you know me personally, then you know that’s a REALLY BIG DEAL.

It’s like I had turned into one of those “healthy people” I always admired but never thought I could be.

The meal replacement shakes are delish, the energy fizzies are mid-day lifesavers, and the overall nutrition program makes it SO EASY to eat healthy and nutritious throughout the day. And as a busy mom of 4 young kids, if anything is going to work, it has to be easy.

It’s so easy that people who go through to program affectionately call it the “Clean Eating Easy Button”.

One of the best parts of the Arbonne 30 Day Cleanse program is that we do this in community (private FB group) so that we’ have built-in accountability. That part is optional, but incredibly helpful. 

Here’s what a sample day will look like:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEthBeJa_Jw

Is Arbonne 30 Days to Healthy Living Right For Me?

The Arbonne 30 Day Healthy Living Program is not a diet and so can be applied to many different lifestyles to produce significant and lasting results. If any of this sounds like you, this program can definitely help:

  • You experience fatigue, foggy thinking, poor sleep, poor digestion or excess weight.
  • You want to lose weight in a healthy way.
  • You want to improve your mood and mental clarity.
  • You want to improve your skin health, clarity and brightness.
  • You’re an athlete and want to increase performance, strength, energy, and muscle definition.
  • You want to uncover food sensitivities.
  • You want to optimize your health.

What It Is

  • A 30-day whole foods clean eating program.
  • A system to equip you with the tools & knowledge to implement life-long health.
  • A rest for the liver and kidneys to maximize function.
  • An elimination program to help uncover food sensitivities.
  • A weight loss jumpstart.

What It Isn't

  • NOT a deprivation diet or fast
  • NOT a liquid diet
  • NOT Keto, Atkins, South Beach or any other “fad” diet out there
  • NOT a quick-fix to just lose a few pounds
  • NOT a program to get you “hooked” on the products. Continue using them or transition to clean eating on your own at any time!

What Will I Have To Do?

  • Plan to eat about every 4 hours, replacing 2 meals with the delicious protein shakes (provided)
  • Eliminate 8 of the most allergenic/toxic/addictive ingredients from your diet (I have a list for ya).
  • Proportion your 1 “lean & green” meal to optimize nutrient density to fuel your body optimally (I have a cheat sheet guide for you)
  • Use the supplemental products to help cleanse your body and support energy (provided)
  • You can join our private Facebook group for education, coaching, recipes and daily inspiration (optional)

Have Questions? Ready to Get Started?

If you’re ready to go and want to get started asap, click here to order right now. I’ll coach you every step of the way and am so excited to get you started! If you still have questions or just want to chat first, contact me below and I’ll be in touch within 48 hours. Chat soon!

11 + 1 =

Why Do You Use Supplements?

Most of us are too busy to make 3-4 perfect meals each day. The supplements in the Arbonne 30 Day Cleanse program is the “Easy Button” (or “healthy fast food”) to make sure you’re getting the proper nutrients in the proper proportions at each meal while you’re still learning. These supplements are what make the program do-able for most of us and give us the greatest chance of success reaching our goals.

What Happens After 30 Days?

After the 30 days you can choose to:

  • Continue with another complete healthy living nutrition set if you have more weight to lose
  • Continue healthy living using the 80-20 rule and just your favorite Arbonne products. For example, the protein, energy fizzies and detox tea have become staples in my pantry and I always have them on hand.
  • Do your own thing entirely! Now that you have the knowledge and healthy habits in place, you can choose to make all your own meals accordingly, with or without Arbonne products. (Remember, the Arbonne products make it easy to get and stay healthy, but you can also do it on your own using healthy foods and sticking to an 80-20 approach to eating.)

What Results Can I Expect?

The average weight loss  on the Arbonne Healthy Living Program is 8-14 lbs for women, and 12-20 for men (I lost 10 pounds and my little sis lost 15, as a personal example). Here are a few of these before & afters:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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50 lbs down between these pictures!!! 😮 My face and legs may be half the size, but my self-confidence and self-love have more than tripled since finding #arbonne30daystohealthyliving 💕 The picture on the left was taken on New Years Eve last year and it’s so shocking to see how different I look almost a year later. This program doesn’t just work – it changed my LIFE 🙌🏻 I no longer feel the need to hide in baggy clothes. I no longer feel insecure in my own skin. I no longer feel trapped in a body that didn’t feel like my own. #Arbonne30 gave me the tools to become the healthiest and happiest version of myself, and for that I will be forever grateful. Want to know more? Just ask ❤️ A post shared by Mandy – Arbonne Area Manager 💚 (@deter_mand) on

 

 
 
 
 
 
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I have been on my weight loss journey for over a year now, and I have found that the hardest obstacle for me isn’t showing up to the gym, but more of what I was eating. With the internet being so accessible, it made it hard for me to sift through the “junk” nutrition information that is online. This is why I am so excited to share Arbonne with all of you. This company really gives you the tools to help you live a healthy lifestyle and escape the fad diet cycle! I am going to go live on Instagram with @apunchofleopard Wednesday, December 19th @ 6:00pm CST! Join me to learn more about this awesome company 😀 Special appearance by Mr. Bailey 🐶 • • • #arbonne #arbonne30daystohealthyliving #arbonne30 #arbonneconsultant #arbonnelife💚 #weightlosstransformation #weightlossjourney #weightloss #wls #wlscommunity #wlstransformation #wlsjourney #wlsbeforeandafter #wlssupport #otf #orangetheoryfitness #keepburning #nofaddiets #healthyfood #healthyrecipes #healthylifestyle #sanantonio #goals #newyearresolution #newyeargoals #resolution2019 #newyearnewme

A post shared by Daniela (@daniela83193) on

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Bragging about my friend Maridee. She called me in March 2018 to let me know she’s ready to take charge of her life, her weight. She’s been on the Arbonne 30 Days to Healthy Living Plan since. The picture on the the right was taken early December. It’s a sustainable plant based, non GMO, no whey/soy, lactose/gluten free program! She has lost an average 10-12lbs per month. If you’re on the sidelines thinking of losing weight or just want to get a jumpstart on being healthy…give this a try. 45day money back guarantee. ivy.losey@aol.com #arbonne #arbonne30daystohealthyliving #plantbased #nothingtolosebutweight A post shared by Ivy Losey (@ivylosey) on

 

 
 
 
 
 
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The first picture was me as a size 16, on the verge of 18. The pants I’m wearing now are a size 8, but depending on where I shop it can range anywhere from 6-10 which is weird and also why shopping by size doesn’t bother me anymore! I’m 5’10, nearly 6’1-6’2 when I wear heels 👠 If you wait around for motivation, you will never do it…because you will never feel like doing it. You just have to do it. Motivation is stupid. Discipline is the key, along with being disciplined enough to eat a piece of cake. It’s balance! ⚖️ As I’m making my shake right now with the fiber, the shot of greens, putting a digestion plus on my tongue and hopping into bed after with a detox tea, I am so thankful for the eduction I have been taught to maintain this lifestyle forever. I am also incredibly thankful for the whole journey, the ups and downs and even the days where I felt so lost and really just wanted to give up and eat my feelings. I see lots of comments about myself through my weight loss video that goes around quite often and NO I have never had plastic surgery, NO I did not lose weight because of society, and NO I was not prettier before. Gosh the list goes on and on of the misconceptions and conspiracies that I have heard, it makes me laugh😂😂 I’m just me, I just wanted to be healthy so I could live a really great life without shortness of breath and so that I could get my BMI under control. There is nothing wrong with wanting to feel better in your own skin and to treat your body with love…whatever that means for you! Tomorrow you will wish you had started today. Stop wishing, just do it! 💥

A post shared by Avery McCain Honeycutt (@averyhoneycutt) on

Don’t Forget! We created a private Facebook Group, Arbonne Glow Getters, where we do Arbonne giveaways, sales and promos, and share health & beauty tips, tricks and resources! >>> Come join the fun!

Have Questions? Ready to Get Started?

If you’re ready to go and want to get started asap, click here to order right now. I’ll coach you every step of the way and am so excited to get you started! If you still have questions or just want to chat first, contact me below and I’ll be in touch within 48 hours. Chat soon!

5 + 11 =

Free Motivational Desktop Wallpaper Images

Free Motivational Desktop Wallpaper Images

I made these to keep myself focused on the right stuff and in the right mindset as I work my business and go after my big dreams. I thought you might like them too 🙂 . Just right-click and save image to your device.

P.S. Want to start a blog or start a home biz THIS year?

Then you’ll LOVE these posts that show you how I’m doing it! Feel free to leave a comment below with any questions or email me anytime at hi@smartmomblogger.com

how to make money blogging
how to make money arbonne

Here’s to going into the next year with stars in our eyes 🤩, dreaming BIG, and taking daily action towards our goals!

xo,

First 9 Steps to a Money-Making Blog for Total Beginners (in Just 2 Hours a Day)

First 9 Steps to a Money-Making Blog for Total Beginners (in Just 2 Hours a Day)

“Spending my free time sharing what I’m passionate about and getting paid to do it really sucks”… SAID NO ONE EVER. And that’s pretty much what you’re getting yourself into when you decide to start blogging seriously.

Is it a lot of work? Yes. Is it head-bangingly frustrating at times? Yes. Does it mean that you’ll probably have to sacrifice some of your Netflix and Facebook-scrolling time? Yep.

But it is also extremely fulfilling, rewarding and fun! Plus, if you follow the right plan (ahem, see below), you can save yourself a ton of time chasing “blogging tips” and actually start to make an impact on others’ lives and an income for yourself and your family as soon as possible. It’s a pretty great gig. But you’re already here so I probably don’t need to convince you of that!

But before we dive into this detailed 9-step plan, I need to tell you quickly WHY I wrote it, and I can do it in two words: information overload.

As I’m sure you’ve noticed, when you start to Google around about how to start a blog and make money, you come head-on to a huge and heavy brick wall called “information overload”. Articles on how to start, what to write, how to write, headlines, tech, design, hosting (what’s that?!), SEO (what’s that?!), alt tags and algorithms and plugins (what the heck are all those??!!!) and before you know it your brain hurts and you just want to curl up on the couch and eat chips and watch Lifetime and never look at a computer screen again.

It’s all just too much, and it scares people away from doing something that is really quite easy, fun and lucrative. The thing is, you don’t need to know it all right now. You just need to know the basics, the right framework for getting started on the right foot.

In my network marketing business, we have a saying that “Ignorance on fire is better than knowledge on ice” which basically just means get over yourself and get started, even if you don’t know all the steps ahead of you yet. But I’ll do you one better: I’ll give you the first 9 steps you should take after you’ve decided to start a money-making blog so you don’t waste time on stuff that doesn’t matter right now. If you do these things first, in order, you’ll have set the foundation for a strong and profitable blog that will be a joy to work on.

And that’s why I wrote this post. I recommend you read/skim this guide in it’s entirety first so you get a clear big-picture overview, then start back at the beginning and actually follow along and do the work step-by-step. You can also download this entire guide for free as a PDF so you can access it anytime. Okay, let’s dive in!

Step 1: Treat This Like a Business From Day 1

A “sometimes” blog is a hobby blog, which is fine, but it won’t make you money. This doesn’t mean you have to spend 40+ hours a week on it, but it DOES mean you have to schedule hard, non-negotiable time into your calendar to work on your blog.

10 hours a week is a great start, scheduled in 30, 60, or 90-minute time blocks. This might mean you have to wake up an hour earlier or sacrifice your evening Netflix habit to make it work, but the time has to come from somewhere.

'I don't have time' is a lie. CHECK THIS >> 'Wake up an hour earlier and use that time for yourself, use that time to work on your goal. You have time. You're just spending it doing something else' - Rachel HollisClick To Tweet

Action Step: Schedule 10 hours each week into your calendar in 30, 60, or 90-minute time blocks.

Step 2: Decide WHO You Want to Write To/For

Before your write a single word on your blog, you should decide who you’re going to be writing to. In blogging and online marketing, this is typically called your “Avatar” (this will come in handy when you choose your blog name in the next step).

In the beginning, you might just have a vague idea, and that’s okay, but the earlier you can narrow this down, the better since it will help you create the most relevant and helpful content for your readers.

Think about who could benefit from what you’ll teach. This doesn’t mean you have to be a credentialed expert or have a prestigious degree on your topic! Just think about topics you’re passionate about, can’t stop talking about and naturally love sharing about and helping people with.

Oftentimes your Avatar will be YOU from one or two years ago. This is a little hack I learned from Ruth Soukup in her course, Elite Blog Academy (which teaches you EVERYTHING you’ll ever need to know about running a successful blog… more on that at the end).

No need to feign authority or act as if you know it all. Just be yourself, and share tips, advice, hacks and revelations you’ve learned along the way. We’ll talk more about creating content like this in Step #5.

Action Step: Spend 15-30 minutes writing a list of things you love talking and sharing about. This can be anything from parenting to yoga to business to weight loss to crafting to psychology to fitness to… well, you get the idea ;). You’ll probably have several things written down, but choose the one that sparks the most joy (yes, I’m a huge Marie Kondo fan).

Step 3: Install Your Blog on WordPress

When you start a new blog, there are many different options for which platform to use to write on. I’m going to save you a bunch of time, frustration and money down the line and just tell you which platform is the best: self-hosted WordPress**.

Ask around to any professional blogger and 99% of them will tell you they use self-hosted WordPress. It’s the most versatile and user-friendly of all the blogging platforms and is widely considered THE go-to for anyone who is serious about blogging.

Self-hosted WordPress is a free blogging platform, but you will need to pay for hosting to make your blog “live” on the internet. There are hundreds of hosting providers out there, but I use and recommend Siteground, because of their affordable pricing & freaking amazing customer service.

It’s $3.95 per month (paid annually) and all you do is go to their site, click “WordPress Hosting” on the home page, and sign up with your credit card info for the “StartUp Plan”.

Once you’re done (takes like 5 minutes), just open a chat or support ticket there and let them know you’re a new blogger and would like them to install WordPress for you. They do it for free!

Let them know what you want your blog name to be (www.yourblogname.com). When deciding on your blog name, consider your blog topic and Avatar and make it relevant. For example, my blog’s Avatar is a stay-at-home-mom looking to make money from home, so I named my blog “SmartMomBlogger.com”. Another option is to use your own name for your blog name. Don’t obsess over this too much, just make sure it’s not confusing or hard to spell and doesn’t have any numbers, dashes or special characters in it (gets waayyyy too confusing for people).

**Quick side note: We’re talking about self-hosted WordPress here, not WordPress.com. WordPress.com is really just suited for hobby bloggers. Self-hosted WordPress is for bloggers who intend to make money with their blog.

Action Step: Set up hosting at Siteground and ask them to install WordPress on your new blog.

Step 4: Choose a Theme/Design For Your Blog

Once you get word from Siteground that your blog is ready, you can log in and start writing. BUT, hold up! There a few steps you need to take care of before you dive in, the first of which is the design of your blog (called a “theme” in WordPress).

My #1 tip for you when choosing your blog theme? Don’t spend more than 20 minutes deciding! Just choose a free theme from the gallery (screenshot below) that you like the general look & feel of.

To do this, once logged in, click “Appearance” > “Themes” > “Add New” from the sidebar menu to browse the free themes.

I know you want a professionally branded blog with amazing colors and graphics that perfectly match your vision and design aesthetic… I know. But so many bloggers spend WAAAYYYY too much time in this phase and get sucked down the never-ending rabbit hole of trying to design a logo and make their blog look perfect. The problem is, that’s the wrong thing to spend time on in the beginning.

You need to focus your time on creating amazing blog posts and getting them in front of the right people. Otherwise you’ll have a perfect-looking blog that no one ever sees.

So just pick a theme you generally like, skip the logo for now (your blog name will still show at the top), and move on to the next step! You can – and should – upgrade your blog design later once you start to get readers… but focusing on this in the beginning really is a waste of time. Just trust me on this one 😉

Action Step: Choose a design (theme) for your blog from the free WordPress gallery. Don’t obsess. Just pick one and move it along!

Step 5: Brainstorm Blog Post Ideas

I always tell people that a good blog post (the kind that gets shared) will focus on the reader, as opposed to being about you. This is one of the fundamentals of a successful and profitable blog: make it about your readers.

It should help them do one or more of the following: solve a problem, reach a goal, inspire them to action, or help them shift their thinking.

With that in mind, make a list of at least 25 problems or questions that your readers might have.

For example, if your blog topic is health & wellness and your Avatar is a millennial mom, the items on your list might look something like this:

  • How to find time to workout with a new baby
  • How to get your newborn baby to sleep through the night (so you can too!)
  • 5 easy mommy and me exercises
  • 10 foods that will increase your energy
  • How to get rid of your mommy pooch
  • How to (safely!) lose weight while breastfeeding
  • How to create a morning routine when you’re a new mom
  • How to make time for self care with toddlers in the house
  • 7 screen-free activities to keep toddlers busy while you work out
  • An easy 10-minute home workout for new moms
  • How to create a routine for your toddlers (and bring peace back into your home!)
  • 21 common health mistakes stay-at-home-moms make
  • Time-blocking for millennial moms (how to actually get stuff done!)

Okay, I think you get the idea 😉 Just make a list of 25 things that you can help your ideal reader with. These will be your very first blog posts!

Action Step: Make a list of 25 problems or questions your Avatar has.

Also! Be sure to grab this freebie download that has 120 blog post ideas for more inspiration:

Step 6: Start Writing Posts

Now that you have plenty of blog post ideas to get started… get started!

As you sit down to write your first post you might find yourself struggling with how to start, what to actually say, how long it should be, and how to end it all off.

It’s the curse of the blank white screen. It can be intimidating for anyone, and especially so for new bloggers! But I’ve got a fix for that, and it’s another trick I learned from Elite Blog Academy.

It’s called the F.O.C.U.S. method.

When you use the F.O.C.U.S. framework to write your blog posts, writer’s block pretty much disappears and it helps the words just flow through your fingertips and onto the (digital) page. To use the F.O.C.U.S. method on your blog posts, just follow the instructions in this post.

One final piece of advice on writing before we move on: be consistent!

This doesn’t mean you have to write every day, but it does mean you should be posting consistently on a regular schedule, not sporadically whenever you feel like it. 1-2 x per week is great.

I can’t stress this point enough: your blog will not grow if you are not consistent.

So plan out your content (use your list of 25 + the freebie with 120 additional post ideas) and plug those titles into your calendar so you know exactly what you’ll be posting and when.

You can use Google calendar, post-it notes on your paper wall calendar, or whichever method you like, but DO PLAN IT and BE CONSISTENT.

Action Step: Write and publish your first post using the F.O.C.U.S. method.

Step 7: Start Using Pinterest

Okay, so now you’re all set up and writing amazing blog posts consistently. What’s next? Can you guess?

Readers! You need people to actually read your blog! In the blogging world, you might hear this referred to as “traffic” or “pageviews”, but it all basically means you want eyeballs on your blog.

But how do you find them? First, let’s shift that question around because it’s actually a matter of how they find you.

There are many, many, many strategies and tactics to getting readers to your blog, but I’m going to share with you the #1 best way to start: Pinterest.

I’m sure you’ve already heard of Pinterest, but probably think of it as a place to save recipes, kids birthday party ideas and DIY projects for your home. And it is that.

But it’s also the successful bloggers’ secret weapon for getting massive traffic to their blogs.

It’s impossible to explain Pinterest blog marketing in one bullet point, but the basic gist is that you create “Pin” images for each blog post (super easy with a free tool like Canva) and pin them on Pinterest for others to find.

You can see my “Pin” image for this blog post at the top of this page. If you hover over it with your mouse or click on it from your smartphone, you’ll see that you can share it on Piinterest. Now that “Pin” is on Pinterest for others to find and “Re-pin” and it links back to my blog.

When you’re ready for this step, take McKinzie’s free Pinterest course so you make sure you do it right (and save yourself time and frustration trying to “wing it”).

**Quick side note! You’re going to be tempted with many other traffic strategies you hear about, such as SEO (Search Engine Optimization), Facebook pages and groups, live video, YouTube videos, blog networking, Facebook ads, and many others, but I implore you to put your blinders on and just focus on Pinterest to start. It’s the easiest and fastest way to gain traction in the beginning, and if you split your focus onto other things you’re going to get overwhelmed and make very little progress. Stay laser focused!

Action Step: Set up a Pinterest account for your blog and sign up for McKinzie’s free Pinterest Primer marketing course.

Step 8: Set Up Your Email Newsletter

Having an email list is suuuppper important! You should get this going as soon as you can as it will help you leverage your sporadic and unpredictable blog traffic and convert it into loyal readers and fans who come back to your blog again and again.

To start, you can use a free mail service like Mailerlite or Mailchimp until you reach your first 1,000 subscribers. Just sign up and follow the instructions to create an email sign up form to place on your blog.

Email marketing for your blog is a whole other topic, and when used effectively, can help grow your blog and income by leaps and bounds. But for now, just keep it simple.

When you’re ready to dive into the details of email marketing and making money with your blog (here are the 6 ways most bloggers actually make money), then you’re probably also ready for Step #9, so here we go…

Action Step: Sign up for a free account at Mailerlite or Mailchimp and create an email sign up form for your blog. Place it in your sidebar and footer for now.

Step 9: Invest in Your Blog

Here’s the part where I give you advice that you don’t really want to hear.

As we talked about in Step #1 above, if you think you can create a successful blog by working on it for a few hours every once in a while – you’re wrong. You need to invest time into this and commit to it for the long haul.

But you also need to invest money, specifically in training or you’ll just end up spinning your wheels following endless “blogging tips” and getting nowhere. You need a cohesive blog growth plan.

After all, we’re treating this like a business, remember? I love the way Rosemarie from The Busy Budgeter puts it:

“Whatever job you have now, you probably trained for right? Maybe you went to college, maybe you interned, or maybe your predecessor trained you. Well, trying to blog without investing in training is kind of like trying to do your job without anyone ever telling you what your job is. Without investing BOTH time and money into your blog, this isn’t going to happen.”

Books and courses on blogging, marketing, running an online business are all great investments.

I’ve mentioned several resources throughout this article to help you start your blog and take your education further, but my #1 recommendation is Elite Blog Academy. It’s the only complete blogging program I know of that covers every single thing you need to turn your blog into a successful business.

The catch? It’s only open once a year. The creator, 7-figure blogger Ruth Soukup, is dedicated to making sure each year’s students get the attention and training they need to really make their blog successful.

Just take a peek at these bloggers’ stories… aren’t they fall-out-of-your-seat amazing?! So even if right now you’re thinking there’s no way you can afford to invest in your blog, just get on the free waitlist anyway, because you never know what could happen between now and the time it opens up again and I would hate for you to miss out and have to wait for another YEAR to really take your blog to amazing levels!

Action Step: Sign up for the free waitlist at Elite Blog Academy.

– – – – – – –

Okay, I know that was a lot of information packed into these 9 steps! Your head is probably spinning with ideas and information, but just pause for a moment and take a deep breath. The fact that you’re still here reading this means that you’re serious – congratulations!!

Just take things one step at a time… the really great news is NOW YOU KNOW WHICH STEPS TO TAKE! Doesn’t that feel great?! Isn’t that a relief?!

But now, you have work to do. Knowledge isn’t enough to start your blog or make any money; you need to take action!

So let’s quickly circle back to the beginning and commit to completing Steps #1-3 THIS WEEK to make this happen. Will you do that for me? For YOU? I hope you say yes.

How To Create Your Own Website With WordPress

How To Create Your Own Website With WordPress

How to Create Your Own Website (It’s Easy!)

If I were writing this guide 10 years ago (or even 5!), it would be super loooong and complicated with a gazillion steps on how to create web pages, use HTML to code things, and use Photoshop to create a logo and graphics.

Lucky for you, this isn’t 10 years ago. It’s TODAY and it’s actually super easy to create your own website!

There are a lot of different platforms you can use including Wix, Weebly and Squarespace, to name a few. BUT, I don’t recommend any of those. They’re easy enough to start with but super limited when it comes to design and functionality options and you’ll end up very frustrated, very quickly.

So instead, I always tell people to use WordPress! It’s a free platform (you will need to pay for hosting – more info on that below) and it lets you do anything and everything with the design and usability of your site.

Here’s a step-by-step guide for how to create your own website THIS week (and have it look like a pro did it).

Step #1: Choose your website name

Your website name will be your domain name (like www.mywebsitename.com).

Choosing a name often trips up newbies, but it doesn’t have to be complicated! Here are a few dos & don’ts for choosing a website name:

  • DO: Use your business name. If you already have a business, this is the obvious choice.
  • DO: Use a name that describes your website topic or audience. This helps make it crystal clear what your site is all about. My site – SmartMomBlogger.com – uses this method.
  • DO: Use your own name. This is a great choice if you are a coach, consultant, or want to establish a personal brand. Here are a few websites that use this method: MarieForleo.com and ChrisPowell.com
  • DON’T: Use numbers, dashes, or alternate spellings in your blog domain name. This makes it hard for people to remember or type your domain name (or even get it right in the first place).
  • DON’T: Be too clever or cutesy. Even though you may “get it”, someone else might not. It’s too confusing and can make people feel like they’re not “part of the club”.

Step #2: Set up a self-hosted website

Alright – here we go! In this step, you’ll be setting up your hosting account and installing WordPress. If you’re not tech-savvy, don’t worry! It’s a lot easier than it sounds & I’ll walk you through it all, step-by-step.

Every website requires hosting in order to be “live” on the internet. Don’t worry too much about the technical details – just follow along with the screenshots and instructions below and you’ll be on your way!

Set up your hosting

Click here to get set up with website hosting from Siteground. While you can use whichever hosting provider you choose (there are hundreds available), I use and recommend Siteground because they’re super affordable, reliable, and have excellent customer service. You can get start your own blog for just $3.95 per month.

Select the StartUp plan

It’s the cheapest and will work great for a new website. You can upgrade later if needed if your business or website traffic grows, but for now, the StartUp plan is perfect.

Choose or transfer website domain name

Enter your website name (from Step #1) right here! If you already have a domain name that you purchased somewhere else already (like GoDaddy), just click the “I already have a Domain” option and SiteGround will transfer it to your account for free (another reason why I love them!).

Enter account info and payment details

Next, you’ll need to enter your account details and credit card information. Be sure to pay attention to the options at the bottom and check/uncheck the upgrades as desired.

Unlike many other hosting providers, SiteGround discounts apply to any of the initial periods chosen during the sign-up process, which is a great bonus (most other hosting providers only apply the discounts to the longest sign-up periods, costing you unnecessary extra upfront expenses).

Step #3: Install WordPress on your new hosting account

Once you’ve created your hosting account, it’s time to actually install your website. In this step, you’ll install WordPress on your new hosting account. The really cool part about this is that SiteGround does it for you for free! It’s yet another reason I use and recommend them.

Just contact SiteGround via chat after you set up your hosting account and let them know you’d like their free WordPress website installation service on your new hosting account. They’ll be happy to do it for you and you can save yourself the time and hassle of doing it yourself (especially if you’re not techie). You’ll get an email once it’s completed (typically in under 48 hours).

If you want to do it yourself instead, you can just select the “WordPress” option from your cPanel once you log in to your new account (will look like the screenshot below), and follow the on-screen prompts.

Once you get word from SiteGround that your site has been installed, that means your new blog is LIVE!

Step #4: Choose a Design Theme

Once you view your new website, you’ll see that it has a basic look or “design” to it. This is called a “theme” and you can change it to look like whatever you want!

WordPress has thousands of free and premium designs to choose from, and you can try several out to see what matches the overall style and feel you want for your business.

To access all the themes and back-end “dashboard” area of your website, you can log in at www.yourwebsitename.com/wp-admin (just add the /wp-admin after your website name in the url). You’ll also get an email from SiteGround with this info, so make sure you file it away so you can access it whenever you need it.

Once inside your dashboard, you’ll see a menu on the left side with all your options. Click Appearance > Themes > Add New to view and test different designs.

This is the fun part! Don’t obsess over things or try to make it perfect (not gonna happen anyway), but give yourself some time – a couple hours or so – to play around with designs and customize your website to look awesome.

If you need to find stunning imagery for your website, try a site like Pexels or Pixabay which have thousands of free, high-quality images.

Step #5: Publish & Publicize!

Once you’ve found a design you love and have all your website copy dialed in, it’s time to publish that design! Go you! It looks fab 😉

And don’t forget to share your new pro-looking website with the world! Here are a few ways you can publicize your website and business:

  • Email your list
  • Share on your social media
  • Use Facebook ads
  • Create Pins for Pinterest
  • SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
  • Spread the word in person to friends, family and acquaintances

After all, the whole “If you build it they will come” concept works great in the movies, but not so much on the world wide web. You’ve gotta get the word out!

Conclusion

If you’re wondering how to create your own website or are intimidated by the thought of it – don’t be! By following the steps outlined above you can absolutely do this.

If you have questions or need help, let me know in the comments below.

If you found this guide helpful, please share on Facebook or Pinterest! When my readers share my content, my blog grows. I’m so grateful!

 

5 Best Affiliate Programs to Boost Your Blog Income

5 Best Affiliate Programs to Boost Your Blog Income

GET YOUR FREE $100 AFFILIATE MARKETING CHEAT SHEET FOR BLOGGERS

Discover the “Affiliate Marketing Profit Equation” you need to plan your first $100 in blog revenue + 3 affiliate programs that'll get you there quick!

Want easy-access to 5 passive income affiliate programs to boost your blog income? You’re in the right place – read on!

Blogging is fun and all, but at some point you’re going to want to actually some make money at it, am I right?

So let’s get rolling with some Affiliate Marketing! IMHO, it’s the #1 best place to start because it’s super low-hassle and low maintenance.

No products to create or store, no services to provide (huge time suck!), no customer service to provide and no need for huge amounts of traffic.

You just need to create helpful, value-packed content (read: not sales-ey) that clearly explains the benefits of the product, and be sure to use your affiliate link so you get the commission. This content can be in the form of blog posts, tutorials, emails, social media posts, videos or anything else you can think up!

>> Also Read: 5 Super Simple Ways Mom Bloggers Can Make Money With Affiliate Marketing

Here’s a short list of some of the best affiliate programs to boost your blog income:

Each of the 5 programs below can be applied to many different blog niches and have at least 20% (or $25) commission! Be sure to download your free $100 Affiliate Marketing Cheat Sheet to use the profit equation to easily plan, calculate and predict your income!

1. CreativeLive Affiliate Program

CreativeLive is an online platform that hosts tons of top-quality classes taught by experts in their field. From family photography to online business to personal growth and so much more, there is something for almost everyone.

Program Highlights: 

  • 20% commission on new customer purchases
  • 10% commission on return customer purchases
  • $1 lead payout for every new member registration (this means when someone signs up top their free email list, you still get paid!)
  • 30-day tracking cookie
  • Large selection of text links and banners
  • Newsletters with program updates, promotions, contests and incentive opportunities

SIGN UP FOR CREATIVELIVE AFFILIATE PROGRAM RIGHT NOW >>

 

2. Craftsy Affiliate Program

Craftsy is an online platform for creatives, aspiring creatives, and families who want to encourage a culture of exploration and creativity. From physical products like project kits for kids and baking supplies, to craft, creative and family online classes, Craftsy is a perfect affiliate program for Family/Parenting Bloggers and Craft/Creative Bloggers.

Program Highlights: 

  • 75% of first-time class or DVD purchases by new customers
  • 15% of class or DVD purchase by existing customers
  • 15% of physical product purchases by new customers
  • 4% of physical product purchases by existing customers
  • $5 Bluprint trial signup (similar to the CreativeLive program above, you get paid even when someone signs up for free)
  • $15 Bluprint monthly membership signup

SIGN UP FOR THE CRAFTSY AFFILIATE PROGRAM RIGHT NOW >>

 

3. Ultimate Bundles Affiliate Program

Ultimate Bundles is a unique resource that offers huge digital bundles on a range of topics including parenting, homemaking, blogging, photography, healthy living, essential oils, handmade crafting, and meal planning

Program Highlights:

  • 40% commission on every bundle sold through your unique link
  • Most bundles are only available once a year, so there’s a built-in sense of urgency when you tell your readers about them (increases sales)
  • Huge value for your readers since the bundles are 90%-98% off the retail price of the products
  • Top-quality affiliate marketing training built right in. In my opinion, this is one of the biggest perks to the program: they give you access to an entire course on affiliate marketing including videos, swipe files, email templates and more.

SIGN UP FOR THE ULTIMATE BUNDLES AFFILIATE PROGRAM RIGHT NOW >>

 

4. Ebates Affiliate Program

Ebates is a website that pays you cashback on purchases you make online and is a perfect to promote to your readers if you are a budget, lifestyle or mom blogger.

Program Highlights:

  • You get $25 for every qualifying referral you send through your affiliate link
  • You gift your readers with $10 automatically when they sign up through your link
  • Vacation Giveaways for affiliates! As of this email, the current giveaway is the Maui Prize Package and includes Roundtrip airfare for 4 (up to $4,000 value), a 5-night stay at the Fairmont Kea Lani ($4,000 value), Roundtrip transportation to and from airport, and Food and entertainment stipend!

SIGN UP FOR THE EBATES AFFILIATE PROGRAM RIGHT NOW >>
**When you sign up for an Ebates account, you automatically get access to your unique affiliate link. Just go to the “Refer & Earn” link at the top of the page.

 

5. Elite Marketing Pro Affiliate Program

Elite Marketing Pro is an online training program for people who are doing (or want to do) a Network Marketing business (eg. Arbonne, DoTerra, Mary Kay, Pampered Chef, etc.). It teaches them how to generate leads and sales online so they don’t have to harass friends and family to try and grow their business.

Program Highlights:

  • 20% – 70% commission on every sale (depending on which affiliate level you are)
  • Lots of free resources and training you can offer your readers that lead right into a sales funnel for effortless sales.
  • Residual income potential. This perk is HUGE! This means that you get recurring commissions month-after-month on autopilot.

To sign up for the Elite Marketing Pro affiliate program, you first need to be a customer, but the entry-level product is only $27 so it’s definitely worth it if you have an audience of readers who are interested in starting a side-hustle or working from home since the commissions are so generous and you get recurring income every month.

SIGN UP FOR THE ELITEMARKETINGPRO AFFILIATE PROGRAM RIGHT NOW ($27 purchase required) >>>

 

And that’s a wrap! You may not be able to use ALL of these affiliate programs on your blog, but I’m willing to bet that at least ONE of them will work for you!

And that’s really where you should start anyhow… with ONE affiliate program. If you try to incorporate a gazillion affiliate programs into your blog all at once, it’s going to get confusing and overwhelming… to you AND your readers.

💡 Also… the best thing that can happen to a bad idea is that it’s forgotten. The best thing that can happen to a good idea is that it’s shared. If you liked this post, I’d be so grateful if you shared it on Pinterest, Facebook or however you like to share good ideas best!

 

Best affiliate marketing programs for new bloggers to boost income! Can apply to many different niches :)

Pin this to share and access later!

GET YOUR FREE $100 AFFILIATE MARKETING CHEAT SHEET FOR BLOGGERS

Discover the “Affiliate Marketing Profit Equation” you need to plan your first $100 in blog revenue + 3 affiliate programs that'll get you there quick!